Tonight’s the night, and there’s time for just a few more teases about the big Game of Thrones season finale.

TV Guide has released a select few quotes from their interview with Alex Graves that will drop after the finale has aired.

The director can’t say enough about the sheer scale of the episode compared to what we’ve seen. “This is the first season where the finale is a finale. It is an all-out, massive, episode. It’s the largest episode that’s every been made. A lot happens.”

He also teases a few scenes that are sure to be memorable. One he says contains “the best writing I’ve ever seen,” another he was terrified of, as it was “one of my toughest, of all the things I did.” He also says there is one in particular that David and Dan “have been waiting to make for something like a decade.”

Last week’s episode ended with Jon Snow heading out to find Mance Rayder, and from what we’ve seen in the preview, he will do just that. Kit Harington has been busy promoting his new film How to Train Your Dragon 2, with perfect timing to sneak in questions about the Thrones finale.

Jon left The Wall without a sword, a dire wolf, or any of his brothers. Kit tells the Wall Street Journal Speakeasy just what Jon’s plan is, and why he’s the only one who can see it through. “His plan is to kill Mance Rayder because that’s the only thing left for him to do. He can’t have gone beyond the Wall with anyone else with him, otherwise they get killed. He has to do it on his own; he’s the only one who’s met Mance Rayder, and he has to get into that tent and find the best thing he can find to kill him, while pretending to be there to parley.”

We’ll have to wait to see if Jon succeeds, but Kit says that the episode could be “one of the best episodes of Thrones we’ve done.” And in a quote from CNN, he reiterates that the episode will follow a different path than previous finales. “Usually the big impact episode is (the ninth), and then we wrap everything up in the 10th. But this show doesn’t like doing what people think is going to happen; we like changing things up, and it’s a lot that happens in this episode. It’s going to throw a lot of people, it’s going to be very exciting.”

Adding to that, Kit tells Variety that the episode is one of his personal favourites he has ever worked on. “It’s a big action-packed episode. There’s a lot happens in it that leaves people wanting more, and that’s what we want, people coming back to season five. It leaves a lot open. I’m excited to see it. It’s one of my favorite episodes I’ve ever done.”

I have been converted to the position that we will NOT see LS this episode. it just makes more sense for them to do it next season when they can build it up with Brienne and Pod hearing about hanged Freys, about the Brotherhood having a new leader, etc. and there is just too much other stuff happening this episode.

Tywin’s problem was he’d been backed up for days and it took a quarrel to the gut to loosen it all. The minor fan theory I heard is that someone (possibly Oberyn) had been slowly poisoning him with Widow’s Blood (just as Tyrion did to Cersei in Clash) and even if he hadn’t been killed by Tyrion, the toxins in his body would eventually do the job.

Whatever the reason, I can’t wait to see how far they go with it. Charles Dance has known for at least 3 years how he dies because a book reader revealed it to him on the streets and he seemed like he was in favour of it. He called it “gothic” which is hardly the word I’d use to describe it. Graphic is more apt really.

I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again, I really hope they don’t ruin the Tyrion/Tywin moment by adding some type of fart noise or plop sound after Tyrion kills Tywin on the toilet. I know it happens in the book but it will make the scene comical and the scene should not be comical.

I’m trying not to care about you know who but I DO I DO SO BAD SO BAD.

I just think that epilogue to Storm is so perfect. Some random Frey? Then boom? She remembers? Holy Hell. Imagine unsullied going, “What the Hell is this? Why do I care about these guys doing nothing?”

LSH is not a significant event/figure. Really she’s just another ripple from the Red Wedding impacting on the brotherhood. We could have an equivalent (non-zombie-Cat) leader who turns the Brotherhood towards revenge against the Freys. It’s just poetic and textually interesting to have it be what’s left of Cat.

The resolution of Tyrion’s story IS a big deal, both in terms of a lot of the characters that we care about or are interested in, but also in terms of the politics and balance of power in KL/Westeros/Essos(presumably, ultimately). The story pivots again.

Of course Stannis arriving at the wall and the permanently changed dynamic there is another pivot of the story, and while it’s something to look forward to it doesn’t have the dramatic punch that Tyrion’s confrontation with Tywin has.

I’ve no doubt that D&D have been hanging out for Dinklage and Dance to resolve their family issues. LSH doesn’t even get a look-in on the importance scale or the dramatic scale.

LSH will make an appearance when there’s space for her to do so. That may well not be the S4 finale. No point in rushing that storyline and cramming too much into one episode.

Sam:
I have been converted to the position that we will NOT see LS this episode. it just makes more sense for them to do it next season when they can build it up with Brienne and Pod hearing about hanged Freys, about the Brotherhood having a new leader, etc. and there is just too much other stuff happening this episode.

I’m going with this too. If nothing else to preserve my sanity and my enjoyment of the rest of the episode.

I would *love* to see Stoneheart in a completely WTF Marvel-style post-credits scene. When I read ASOS and was thinking, “OK, the book is done. That was awesome.” and then **BAM** with the epilogue that had me saying out loud, “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!”. I would love it if that same sense of holy shitness was gifted to the unsullied. Ending the episode with it isn’t enough; it needs to be completely and totally unexpected, hence post-credits.

WeirwoodTreeHugger: I’m going with this too. If nothing else to preserve my sanity and my enjoyment of the rest of the episode.

Right? I can already see so many fans who will make things difficult for themselves by spending the whole episode WAITING, enjoying things as they come but mostly not enjoying them because they’re WAITING, and then when the episode is over and LS hasn’t happened, they will be SO DISAPPOINTED, and that experience will color the whole previous 66 minutes for them and they won’t be able to enjoy it until they re-watch. Better to just assume they go the way I wrote above.

I’d love even a simple, seconds short clip of Arya “dream-warging” in Nymeria and dragging the body from the river and then waking. Not a real LS reveal, but a hint that she will be. That would provide mystery but also that Arya has some warging ability as well.

Lady Stoneheart Might not be as important to the plot as Tyrion, but you have to admit, its a HUGE scene and one I would imagine D&D would want to do. Look at the ASOIAF community right now. People are hyped and frothing at the mouth for her to make an appearance. We are just about to see some of the most huge and iconic asoiaf scenes, and LS is the first on everyone’s list. If you were working on the show, don’t you think you would be DYING to recreate that exhilarating yet disturbing HOLY SHIT moment? But I do believe the “best script” has to be Tyrion and Tywin.

People, just prepare yourselves for no LS. Don’t go in expecting her in the episode, and then you will either be surprised if she shows up or not surprised when she doesn’t. Even if she doesn’t appear in this episode, and I’m 90% sure she won’t, there has been enough foreshadowing to make you believe she will be in next season. First there was Bran seeing an angry Catelyn in his raven dream last season. Then the introduction to Beric and his resurrections, followed by Arya asking them if they could bring back her father. This season they included Cat’s body being dumped in the river and have frequently name dropped Catelyn’s name, while focusing on the oaths Brienne and Jaime swore to her. It isn’t a now or never situation. And there are good reasons to delay the characters appearance. IMO.

Tyrion Pimpslap:
People, just prepare yourselves for no LS. Don’t go in expecting her in the episode, and then you will either be surprised if she shows up or not surprised when she doesn’t. Even if she doesn’t appear in this episode, and I’m 90% sure she won’t, there has been enough foreshadowing to make you believe she will be in next season. First there was Bran seeing an angry Catelyn in his raven dream last season. Then the introduction to Beric and his resurrections, followed by Arya asking them if they could bring back her father. This season they included Cat’s body being dumped in the river and have frequently name dropped Catelyn’s name, while focusing on the oaths Brienne and Jaime swore to her.

I’ve definietly toned down my LS hype. I realized the main reason I am anticipating her the most is because its the only part of the finale im not sure about. Tyrion/Tywin really is THE SCENE of the season.

The problem is, it’s a WTF moment, but then what? If you would have told me after reading ASOS that the character would only briefly appear in one chapter over the next two books, I would have been upset. Imagine how upset unsullied viewers will react when she doesn’t do anything next season, after such a shocking moment? That is why delaying the character until she is more crucial to the plot makes sense.

The scene they are referring to will be Stannis’ arrival at the Wall. That’s going to be a brilliant scene. I bet they will make something special of Tyrion killing Shae and Tywin, but that’s not the scene they had in mind. Is my guess. Neither is it Lady Stoneheart, although she WILL close Season 4. I cannot believe so many people here are in panic that she won’t appear. Of course she will. D&D are fans as well…

Well I’m book reader and I do not want to see the character on the show at all. The only reason I would want to see this character in the show is to see all the negative reaction and “jumping the shark” comments it would get from many of the TV viewers and would help prove my point that the character is lame and should be left out of the show. If they wanted to include Lady Stoneheart they should have done it last year when the show was in desperate need for a big finale scene. Now It has been too long and the audience has moved on.

I’m not even going to pretend. I need LS. And I love the idea that it would be after the end credits. I mean that would be bold as hell. They’d know lots of people would miss it, but man, that impact. Real bold. But of course I just need her to be in in any way.

Never expected to be this hyped for another episode after becoming sullied. I really hope I’m not disappointed because I can’t lie I would be. Very.

If they really want to show LS now, it needs to be in another Bram vision. If they do that, they can get away with not/barely showing her in the next season(s). Then somewhere at the end of season 5, they can show her actual introduction with the extra shock of her Boeing evil.

I agree with you though I have a problem with this too.To NOT hear Tyrion mention the fact that Tywin does not shit gold is going to upset me very much. Worse than not having weasel soup or Renly’s peach. How will Tyrion be able to state that unless Tywin does in fact make a “plop” or fart noise? That is the question…

I cannot believe so many people here are in panic that she won’t appear.

I cannot believe so many are so sure of her appearance when so many signs point to her not.
There was even a movie critic in a forum who got to screen the episode and confirmed she is not in the episode. He was a real movie critic too not just some troll.

Again, no. That wasn’t Jumping the Shark. Slightly awkward scene, that could have done with some more build up, and execution. But Ironborn killers going to rescue their Prince is kind of in keeping with them, and the show in general… it’s not a new, or radically altered, aspect of the show.

The whole thing thing about Tywin shitting gold has only been brought up once in the show so the comment would make no sense to the average viewer. I don’t think the comment is that great or funny anyway so I have no issues with them leaving it out. I don’t even think he says it in the book, just thinks it.

That scene is a smack to the showpurists.
“Fuck this show, just wieners and dragons they told me, it would be no Jesus bullshit they told me, just women getting stabbed and cutthroated!
Nobody talked about zombies!
NOONEUNDERSTANDS!

I think the big scene tonight that everybody will be talking about is Tyrion killing Shae and his father. Stannis! Stannis! Stannis! will be memorable, but overshadowed by Tyrion. Lady Stoneheart is a big “Holy $h!t!! moment, but not as important as those two events.

Unfortunately because of their spoiler-laded article links on the right-hand margin, I will not be coming to Winteriscoming.net anymore.

It was fun while it lasted, but ever since Winteriscoming.net was cast into the clutches of Fansided, the care for the material has shit the bed. I am stunned to think that something like this was allowed, but clickbait, greed, and the lack of attention was too much to bear.

No, I feel the same way too.
On some level I find Lady Stoneheart on pretty equal level with Coldhands. Although I personally found Coldhands far more interesting at first than I did LS. SO many people kept clamoring that Coldhands just had to be included on the TV series and of course he was left out. Quite easily too I might add.

What is her importance to the story?
Through the 5 books I would say fairly unimportant at best. The way things are set up she could certainly play a more important role in the future books, but she could go the way of Coldhands in the end as well. Unless she does something of great importance in the remaining books I don’t know if she even needs to be included on the TV series.

Slightly awkward??? A few Ironborn were able to storm fully garrisoned Dreadfort and Asha/Yara was able to escape a pack of savage dogs unscathed. Jumping The Shark is completely apt to describe that horrendous scene.

I think its obviouis that its Arya giving the Braavos coin and saying Valar Morghulis that they have been waiting to do for 10 years, they seemed to have loved using those phrases, naming episodes after it and stuff.

Yes, slightly awkward. Not horrendous by any stretch. The Ironborn didn’t storm and take the Dreadfort, and they weren’t trying to. They were trying to get in and out quickly, and they were the “50 best killers from the Iron Islands”… Once the alarms were raised, and the element of surprise was lost, the Ironborn were on the back foot because, as you say, the Dreadfort was fully garrisoned. That’s why they tried to drag Theon and run.

As for the dogs, that’s where I would say it was the most awkward… Ramsay taking the time to release them, Yara not running straight away. But Ramsay didn’t so much want to kill Yara, as to make her flee and abandon Theon, using the dogs as an incentive for her to run,thus her getting away unscathed. And I’m guessing dogs can’t climb down ropes too well, so as soon they got back up to the walls and climbed over, they were able to get away. Ramsay probably told the Dreadfort men not to pursue, thinking that a broken/failed Yara and the tales she’ll take away will help them in the battle against the Iron Born.

When they stretch out some content with filler all season and fastpace other content just to cram it all into one finale episode… yea it doesn’t really bode well that everything will be given the proper amount of time to show each storyline off correctly. Not to mention all the other bs tactics they used this season. /facepalm

Slightly awkward??? A few Ironborn were able to storm fully garrisoned Dreadfort and Asha/Yara was able to escape a pack of savage dogs unscathed. Jumping The Shark is completely apt to describe that horrendous scene.

I actually enjoyed that scene. Yara’s departure, and Ramsay’s reasons for letting her go, seemed implicitly logical. It felt a tad odd, but that’s just compared to the brilliance of the rest of the episode. The close-quarters brawl was intense, with Ramsay clubbing away with his mace. Great stuff.

Ash:
I think the episode ends with the brotherhood at the river and a body is on the bank, they realise it’s cat etc etc

Unless the Freys had access to formaldehyde and embalming techniques, I doubt the decayed body would be recognizable, or even be a fleshy body anymore, at this point. How much real time has progressed during this season? 3 weeks? 3 months? In any case, very little flesh would remain, I would assume.

Filler=”that didn’t happen in the book”. Most of the things people label filler are not really filler at all. Craster’s Keep is only consider filler to books readers. To the average viewer nothing about that was “filler”. Most fans rant about filler also seem to ignore the lack of material at the end ASOS to fill 10 hours. Without the “filler” then this season would have been over by episode 5 and characters like Arya and Bran would have had no material.

Yeah I agree. That’s why I’m now not expecting LS to be in the finale. Before I was thinking that she would act as the finale moment for Brienne’s storyline but now that it seems that she’ll be running into the Hound I think that will be the finale for her story. They’ve also got a lot of balls in the air at the moment and alot of stuff to wrap up in the finale. I’m sure they’ll introduce her next season.

i hope its not left too open. i don’t want to be angry at the end of tonights episode or left hanging like the end of episode 9. i can’t take it. i won’t be able to endure another year if it ends like episode 9 did

The more I think about it the more postpooing LS till the end of the next season premiere seems logical. Think about it, with everything that’s going on in the season finale, the season 5 premiere could be a much quieter affair. Tyrion arriving in Pentos, Jon Snow and Stannis surveying the damage,e tc. Then…BOOM in comes Lady Stoneheart at the end, just when things seem to be quieting down. Still hoping she turns up tonight though

ArgonathofBraavos: I don’t care at all about your opinion of the scene. I just stated that I enjoyed it, and thought it made perfect sense. You think it’s a pig, I think it’s a peacock. Who gives a s&^%, really? :-)

The scene was so poorly executed and devised, it was uncharacteristic of Iron Born to risk their lives like that. They wouldn’t give two hoots about Theon being held prisoner. The speech wasn’t even that convincing or rousing.

And where the hell was Roose? Do you think he’d let someone like Yara Greyjoy slip from under his nose? He’d flay Ramsay the minute he heard of that blunder.

It’s by far the worst scene D & D have concocted on their own and makes me fear for the future of this show.

Yeah, the Greyjoys that despise Ned (and the Starks) for killing Balon’s sons and taking Theon away. The Greyjoys that exiled Balon’s brother, to prevent any kinslaying going on. Asha who begged her brother to leave Winterfell so he didn’t die so far from the sea. Yeah, these Greyjoys, Asha in particular, have no familial feelings, and would happily let Theon rot there.

Roose was away, probably dealing with Northern Lords.

It’s not a perfect scene, but it’s not an abomination. If you want to live in fear for the show because of a single scene (which was followed by, perhaps one of the best scenes on the Reek/Ramsay rollercoaster, with the bath and the Moat Cailin), go ahead.

Sheriff Bullock: The scene was so poorly executed and devised, it was uncharacteristic of Iron Born to risk their lives like that. They wouldn’t give two hoots about Theon being held prisoner. The speech wasn’t even that convincing or rousing.

And where the hell was Roose? Do you think he’d let someone like Yara Greyjoy slip from under his nose? He’d flay Ramsay the minute he heard of that blunder.

It’s by far the worst scene D & D have concocted on their own and makes me fear for the future of this show.

It may have been uncharacteristic for Iron Born in general, but not uncharacteristic to Iron Born who are loyal to Yara (Asha) Greyjoy. It was firmly established in season 2 that she commands a fiercely loyal posse, and her leadership qualities are clear.

I also find it characteristic of the Iron Born (including Yarasha) to “get the f” out of the Dreadfort once it was clear that Theon Grejoy was now a deranged eunuch. When they think something ain’t worth it (as we saw in Winterfell with Theon, and as we later see with the keepers of Moat Cailin), they high tail it out.

Lastly, I found it characteristic of Ramsay to let Yara get chased by the dogs. He clearly likes playing games that his father doesn’t approve of, and I imagine he simply kept this episode to himself…

I do, however, find it odd that he let her leave the Dreadfort entirely. Though he’s a nutcase, it had been established that he very much values Roose’s approval, and it makes little sense for him to not capture Yara and take her to Roose.

Which is why I have to conclude that Yara actually got away, and that Ramsay intended to detain her. How she got away is frustratingly unclear, and showing that process was apparently sacrificed due to budget constraints.

So the awkwardness of this scene may have been a symptom of budget problems, rather than writing.

It probably would have made it a much stronger sequence to see Yara fighting desperately for her life and barely making it back to her ship after losing many of her men. The way the sequence is now it seems that Ramsay is content to just let her go. Maybe D&D and Cogman were rationalizing it as just another one of Ramsay’s headgames… Or they just ran out of time and resources.

But the overall point of the scene I agree with. It allows the Ironborn plot to move forward. Now Yara knows Theon is a lost cause and it sets up the Kingsmoot. Hopefully we get Balon’s death, Yara’s return to the Iron Islands, and the Kingsmoot early in season 5.

Sheriff Bullock: The scene was so poorly executed and devised, it was uncharacteristic of Iron Born to risk their lives like that. They wouldn’t give two hoots about Theon being held prisoner. The speech wasn’t even that convincing or rousing.

And where the hell was Roose? Do you think he’d let someone like Yara Greyjoy slip from under his nose? He’d flay Ramsay the minute he heard of that blunder.

It’s by far the worst scene D & D have concocted on their own and makes me fear for the future of this show.

That was not D&D. It was Bryan Cogman writing. I get what they wanted to do and in a realistic sense sometimes plans dont workout and the mission fails. But it felt short as a scene overall.

I’m no purist and I hardly complain on this site like some babies (Mostly Stannis fans sadly) but that Yara scene was okay, it was cool but with a dumb result.

Sunfyre:
Now Yara knows Theon is a lost cause and it sets up the Kingsmoot. Hopefully we get Balon’s death, Yara’s return to the Iron Islands, and the Kingsmoot early in season 5.

No it doesn’t. Balon’s death is the only thing that sets up the Kingsmoot. No amount of Yara’s underdevelopment is going to change that.

ArgonathofBraavos,
The only bit worth preserving from that scene was the brief moment of Yara & Reek together. The rest was rubbish. If they made the effort to get Yara over to the east, they should have made her arc more robust….one worth touting by others in order to defend her claim at the Kingsmoot. Good Rh’lorr, they had the extra minutes for it.

Yes…but the dick in a box was enough for Balon. So instead of one foolish child, Balon now has two foolish heirs. There is no way Yara can now make her impassioned speech and be taken seriously at the Kingsmoot (by kin and by viewers) after being toyed with by Ramsay.

Admittedly though, even GRRM doesn’t seem to know what to do with her. After the Kingsmoot, she only gets mildly interesting after she gets captured by Stannis’s forces

GeekFurious:
LOL! This has officially become a spoiler trolling site with that sidebar.

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